Killaloe Bridge is a road bridge over the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Shan ...

between Ballina in

County Tipperary County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after t ...

and Killaloe, County Clare in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. Built on the site of an earlier structure (dating to c.1650), the eighteenth-century bridge has thirteen arches and includes a lifting section that was added in 1929. The bridge has only one vehicular lane, with traffic lights to control vehicle movement. The bridge is a protected structure, listed on the

Record of Protected Structures Conservation in the Republic of Ireland is overseen by a number of statutory and non-governmental agencies, including those with responsibility for conservation of the built environment and conservation of the natural environment in Ireland. Con ...

by both

Clare County Council Clare County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae an Chláir) is the authority responsible for local government in County Clare, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and ...

(#210) and

Tipperary County Council Tipperary County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Thiobraid Árann) is the authority responsible for local government in County Tipperary, Ireland. It came into operation on 3 June 2014 after the 2014 local elections, following the merger of No ...

(#S672).

Monument

An ornate monument in the middle of the bridge commemorates four

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief that ...

members who were shot on the bridge in 1920, during the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence () or Anglo-Irish War was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and British forces: the British Army, along with the quasi- ...

. There is also a plaque recording the 1825 partial rebuild.

Eel management programme

A trap and transport scheme is in force on the Shannon as part of an

eel Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stage ...

management programme following the discovery of reducing populations within the

. This scheme is intended to ensure safe passage for young eels between Killaloe Bridge and the

Shannon Estuary The Shannon Estuary ( gle, Inbhear na Sionainne) is a large estuary where the River Shannon flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The estuary has Limerick City at its head and its seaward limits are marked by Loop Head to the north and Kerry Head to ...

New bridge crossing

Clare County Council and North Tipperary County Council have presented proposals for a new road to bypass Killaloe including a new Shannon bridge crossing, approximately 1 km south of the existing bridge. A mechanism for enforcing

compulsory purchase order A compulsory purchase order (CPO; , ) is a legal function in the United Kingdom and Ireland that allows certain bodies to obtain land or property without the consent of the owner. It may be enforced if a proposed development is considered one for p ...

was confirmed in March 2013. By 2018 detailed design planning was underway, on works for the Killaloe bypass and proposed new bridge. As of 2020, roadworks in Killaloe and Ballina were underway, with a proposed "target for the commencement of construction" on the bridge in "Spring 2022". A " sod turning" ceremony was held in late 2022, at which point the completion date was projected to some time in 2024.

References

External links

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage record (20300805) Killaloe Bridge, Shantraud, Killaloe, Clare

National Inventory of Architectural Heritage record (22306005) Killaloe Bridge, Cullenagh, Ballina, Tipperary North
{{River Shannon River Shannon Bridges in the Republic of Ireland Buildings and structures in County Tipperary Buildings and structures in County Clare